2014 Volume 67 Issue 6 Pages 405-408
A Holstein dairy cow was diagnosed with cervical ectopia cordis at five days old. It was necropsied at seven years and one month due to infertility and chronic mastitis after calving twice. A large amount of fat tissue was observed under the skin of the cervical region. The pericardium was shaped like a hammock and existed from the part 33 cm caudally at the first cervical vertebra to the fourth rib. The heart was formed in a semilunar fashion and turned the apex cranially and the base was directed caudally. Hypertrophy of the right ventricle was found regarding morphological aberration of the heart and bicarotid anomaly, patent ductus arteriosus, and dilation of the pulmonary artery were observed through great vessel abnormality. The configuration of the sternum was an inverted triangle consisting of 17 bilateral sternebrae. One cow with this disease died because of other defects and circulatory disorder associated with the growth. However, this cow showed positional anomaly of the heart and angiectopia but long-term survival was possible due to protection of the heart by a great deal of fat tissue of the cervical region and securement of blood circulation by hypertrophy of the right ventricle.
